Wednesday, December 12, 2012

France Prime Minister Slams Rich


France's Jean-Marc Ayrault slams flight of the 'greedy rich'
Jean-Marc Ayrault Photo: AFP


Jean-Marc Ayrault's outburst came after France's best-known actor, Gerard Dépardieu, took up legal residence in a small village just over the border in Belgium, alongside hundreds of other wealthy French nationals seeking lower taxes.
"Those who are seeking exile abroad are not those who are scared of becoming poor," the prime minister declared after unveiling sweeping anti-poverty measures to help those hit by the economic crisis.
Note that which is presented in the negative as very important information.  The French Prime Minister promised his 75% tax on the wealthy would be passed. 
These individuals are leaving "because they want to get even richer," he said. "We cannot fight poverty if those with the most, and sometimes with a lot, do not show solidarity and a bit of generosity," he added.
Note "even" as making "richer" sensitive. 
Note the order:  "the most" followed by those "with a lot"
Note "solidarity" is unity.
Note "generosity" is a word considered used when someone voluntarily gives to another.  In the case of 75% taxes, it is the forcible taking away of what one has earned and not a voluntary action.  This highlights the attitude of the Prime Minister towards the successful. 

"Thankfully, few are seeking exile to exempt themselves from being in solidarity with fellow Frenchmen."
Note that "few are seeking exile" is in the present tense.  The BBC has reported a large number had already left. 
Announcing plans to spend up to 2.5 billion euros by 2017 to help the poor, Mr Ayrault said that poverty affected 12.9 percent of the population in 2002 and rose to 14.1 percent in 2010.
France's Socialist President Francois Hollande, who famously once declared "I don't like the rich", has pledged to tax annual income of more than one million euros per year at 75 percent.
David Cameron controversially pledged to "roll out the red carpet" for any French residents trying to flee the massive tax hike.
Mr Hollande has since introduced other hefty new charges on capital gains and inheritance, while increasing France's wealth tax and an exit tax for entrepreneurs selling their companies.
Last week, Britons and other owners of second homes in France were told that the value of their properties could collapse after Mr Hollande's government announced a sharp rise in capital gains tax.
While Mr Ayrault opted not to mention Mr Depardieu yesterday, the Gallic star drew fierce criticism from Left-wing politicians and commentators.
The following comments show the attitude towards the successful.  The threatened passage of laws equals institutionalized (legalized) envy.  Where once it was said, "thou shalt not covet they neighbor's goods", here is the law mandating that "thou must covet thy neighbor's goods". 
Socialist MP Yann Galut called for the actor to be "stripped of his nationality" if he failed to pay his dues in his mother country, saying the law should be changed to enable such a punishment.
Benoît Hamon, the consumption minister, said the move amounted to giving France "the finger" and was "anti-patriotic".
For one who wants to keep what they earn, they are giving "the finger" and being "anti-patriotic"
Reports from France include people trying to hide their wealth due to being singled out for possible retribution: 
In a stinging editorial, Libération, the left-leaning daily, called him a "drunken, obese petit-bourgeois reactionary". Le Monde mockingly exclaimed: "Bravo l'artiste!", pointing out he had chosen to make his move "on the eve of a national conference on poverty".
Jean-François Copé, chairman of former president Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party, yesterday said the actor's departure was "terrible for our country and its image" and called on the Socialist government to introduce "progressive fiscal policies".
Mr Depardieu came out in favour of Mr Sarkozy in the his failed re-election bid earlier this year, even appearing in one campaign meeting to say the incumbent had helped him sort out his "business problems".

From the other side, the insults continue:  
But Far-Right National Front leader Marine Le Pen said tax exiles like Mr Depardieu wanted to "have their cake and eat it", adding: "All these people general come running back when they have a health problem."
Belgian income and inheritance taxes are lower than in France, and unlike France, Belgium does not impose a tax on personal wealth, making it attractive for entrepreneurs.
Among Mr Depardieu's neighbours in the village of Nechin will be members of the Mulliez family, who own the Auchan supermarket chain.
France's richest man Bernard Arnault admitted this summer that he had applied for Belgian citizenship, although he insisted it had nothing to do with paying lower taxes.

15 comments:

rob said...

They won't come here, as the same thing is in the early stages.

John Mc Gowan said...

OT>

April Jones: Search To Continue Into New Year
Police keep searching as the parents of April Jones say they are coming to terms with their "tragic loss".1:18pm UK, Wednesday 12 December 2012

Video: No Time Limit On April Search.

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent
As police continue their search for the body of April Jones, her parents say their tragic loss does not get any easier to bear.

It has been 10 weeks since the five-year-old vanished near her home in Machynlleth, Powys.

A statement from her parents, Coral and Paul, said: "We understand that Christmas will be a particularly difficult time without April being amongst us, but as parents of Harley and Jazmin, we will obviously acknowledge the festive season as best we can.

"We realise that this is a big news story, but for us it is our life, and we are coming to terms with the fact that our baby girl has been taken from us."

Police say officers from all corners of the UK are helping in the search operation.

There are 16 search teams comprising of a leader and six officers, as well as twelve specially trained dogs.

They are involved in one of the largest search operations in police history.

Specialists have been searching rivers and the sea as well as mines and quarries.

Superintendent Ian John said: "We will keep looking until we are satisfied that we have exhausted all lines of inquiry.

"We are not putting an end date on the operation and we are not willing to speculate how long it will last.

"But we will say that we are committed to stay here until we can be sure that there are no more viable places to look for April's body.

"The investigation team will continue their work to uncover what happened that evening and to prepare for the trial."

Mark Bridger, 46, from Ceinws, near Machynlleth, has been charged with April's murder, child abduction and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

He remains in custody with a court appearance set for next month.

http://news.sky.com/story/1024358/april-jones-search-to-continue-into-new-year

Skeptical said...

It would be interesting to know what percentage of the 12% declared poor are addicts. Every taxpayer in the country should be angry. It has been estimated that when all the goods and services are added up, the average welfare recipient in the U.S. has an income equivalent to $60,000.00 per year. I am so tired of paying for others lack of discipline and experiments with sex, drugs, and rock and roll (on second thought make that laziness - rock and roll takes effort).

clw said...

OT : Peter would you consider analyzing Toni Ingrams blog. In my opinion she had something to do with her daughters death.

Frannie said...

Ummm---I would think being Prime Minister of France you would be rich. Is he suffering from self loathing also?

Frannie said...

To clw-

Toni Ingram is a greiving mother who cant come to grips that her daughter committed suicide. She and her daughter Morgan had a fight the night Morgan died. She has feelings of guilt that they fought. There is quite a bit of info on the case. Check out Websleuths for more information.

Anonymous said...

Since years French millionaires & billionaires have been leaving the country on a daily basis and the richest families are already gone since a long time.

I am a simple soul:
25/30% of all those billions or zillions = A LOT.
75% of nothing = NOTHING ...

rob said...

My luck, I would win one of those big 500 million dollar lotto jackpots, and the next day, this would go into effect here.

anon 12:33-I like your math.

Tania Cadogan said...

off topic BBM


A former janitor at a Tulsa megachurch engulfed in a sex-abuse scandal was sentenced to 55 years in prison Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl in the church's stairwell.

Chris Denman also was sentenced to 5 years of probation and a $12,000 fine.


Denman pleaded guilty in October to first-degree rape, forcible oral sodomy of a child, lewd molestation, making a lewd proposal to a child and two counts of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.

He did not have a plea agreement with prosecutors and had faced up to life in prison.

Denman was accused in the August rape of a girl on the campus of Victory Christian Center, a worldwide ministry located in south Tulsa that has 17,000 members. Denman was also charged with molesting a 15-year-old girl and making a lewd proposal to a 12-year-old girl.

Denman spoke briefly at Wednesday's sentencing, quoting Bible verses and saying that he wanted to go to prison. At the hearing, prosecutors said Denman was arrogant and had used religion and the safety of the Victory Christian Center to prey on young girls.

A second former church employee, Israel Castillo, awaits trial on a charge of making a lewd or indecent proposal to a child. Prosecutors allege that Castillo sent explicit Facebook messages to a 14-year-old girl he had known for at least two years.

Five employees of the church, including the son and daughter-in-law of Victory head pastor Sharon Daugherty, also face misdemeanor charges. They're accused of waiting two weeks to report the alleged rape of the 13-year-old girl by Denman.

John and Charica Daugherty, Paul Willemstein, Anna George and Harold "Frank" Sullivan have each pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of failing to report the abuse in a timely manner and all have a separate hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

The 13-year-old's mother sued the ministry, accusing employees of trying to cover up the abuse by not reporting the rape to the authorities while it did an in-house investigation. She says the church was more interested in damage control and attempting to make her daughter feel as if she was somehow to blame for the assault.

"Those people were family to her, and they told her she was a liar," the girl's mother said in interview with The Associated Press. "In hindsight, I sat there and watched my child suffer and had no idea how to help her," she said.

In September, after the five church employees were arrested for not reporting the abuse, the ministry issued a statement accepting blame for the delay and vowing to work with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to audit its reporting policy.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/12/ex-tulsa-megachurch-worker-gets-55-year-prison-term-after-pleading-guilty-to/#ixzz2ErWgurYS

John Mc Gowan said...

OT>

Savile Abuse 'Unprecedented', Police Say,

An Operation Yewtree report reveals late DJ Jimmy Savile is the suspect in a total of 199 crimes across 17 police force areas.5:49pm UK, Wednesday 12 December 2012

Jimmy Savile is accused of 'unprecedented' levels of sexual abuse

A report by Operation Yewtree officers claims Savile has been accused of "unprecedented" levels of abuse by a single individual.
Video: Operation Yewtree Finds 'Unprecedented' Abuse
Enlarge

The investigation into sexual offences allegedly committed by the late DJ Jimmy Savile has revealed an "unprecedented" level of abuse by a single individual, according to child protection officials.

The Metropolitan Police report compiled 10 weeks into the Operation Yewtree investigation has seen 589 people come forward with information, of which 450 made accusations against Savile.

A total of 199 crimes have been recorded in 17 force areas in which the television presenter is a suspect and 31 allegations of rape have been made against him in seven force areas.

The report is based on information provided by the hundreds of alleged victims who have come forward since October 4, when five women recounted abuse allegedly at the hands of Savile in a TV documentary.

Analysis of the report has revealed that 82% of those who came forward to report abuse are female and 80% of the total victims were children or young people.

Commander Peter Spindler, Head of Specialist Crime Investigations at the Met, said: "Once again, I want to pay tribute to those who have spoken out and bravely shared their experiences of sexual assault.

"As a result of their collective efforts we have a great opportunity to learn from the past, develop our understanding of sexual exploitation and improve our safeguarding procedures.

"Our response should send a clear warning to anyone today now in a position of power and influence who abuse their status to sexually exploit children and young people - victims will be listened to and robust action taken."

The team of 30 officers is looking at three strands within the inquiry: claims against Savile, claims against Savile and others and claims against others. The report deals with the first strand of the inquiry.

Peter Watt, director of the NSPCC helpline, said: "Operation Yewtree has exposed shocking child abuse allegations of such an unprecedented scale that it has left a deep scar on the consciousness of the country.

"Sadly Savile's victims had to wait decades for help. We have a historic opportunity to learn from the past and make a difference to how we protect children today."

So far officers have detained seven suspects and assisted in the arrest of three others elsewhere in the country as part of Operation Yewtree.

More arrests will be forthcoming, the Metropolitan Police said.

http://news.sky.com/story/1024564/savile-abuse-unprecedented-police-say

Anonymous said...

I just read an article showing that the percentage of Americans on permanent disability has risen to SIX percent. I'm tired of supporting those who think laziness is a disability.

Skeptical said...

Anonymous 10:20

You are very generous with OPM (other people's money) or as you designate them - rich, selfish celebrities. When you voluntarily pay 75% of your money in taxes, I might be willing to give credence to your opinions on the matter.

Anonymous said...


It is not just the "rich", who have been leaving France since years. All of the young men with families, I know here, want to leave the country too. They're desperately looking across the borders for a decent job, with decent pay and reasonable taxes and social security. Hard working people, who will take on two jobs if necessary, but are sucked dry by the system. Yet the almost empty coffers of the government only open for the unemployed. Of which there are more and more, as all small enterprises are closing one after the other, because they cannot cope anymore with the heavy burden.

I know from personal experience in the past 8 years since I settled in France, that the whole tax and social security system is a MESS. There are too many civil servants and institutions, too many [often contradictory] rules and regulations, too many mistakes in applying the rules and an enormous waste of the monies.

To give you just one tiny little example: I have a cleaning lady, who is paid 100% "white". Thus every single euro I pay her costs me 1.80 euro. I estimate that these 80% social security contributions [not taxes ...] I've paid for her so far, amount to something like 65,000 euro. Last year, she was ill for one week [the first time in 8 years]. Social security paid her 17.60 euro for a whole week. And if she would fall ill now, she wouldn’t get anything!

I will not bother you with the 71 tax and social security forms, I had to fill in and pay here per year. Or mention that my register accountant has recently thrown the towel in the ring, as he doesn’t want take part in this “circus” anymore and is retraining for another profession ... Or that the well over one million euro I have already contributed to the state, do not cover me for anything and I now have to pay an additional 11,000 euro to have the obligatory part of my medical cost risk covered for next year, whereas I don’t have any income since last year and my additional insurance I have will not reimburse without the state insurance ... Oh, and that I am being taxed on my non-existing income for this year, because I used to have one and thus could have had one ...

Rant over. Well, not really ... ;-)
Châtelaine


Anonymous said...

Jimmy Saville and Tulsa Megachurch; it is sickening that this level of abuse and power was acceptable to those with the power to have reported it and put a stop to it. I hope the enablers suffer as much as the perpetrators (except Jimmy Saville of course since he was allowed to live and die as a free man). Just like he said though - there will be many others that will fall if he does.

Anonymous said...

Isn't Angelina Jolie French?
Why doesn't she step up to the plate and give 75% of her earnings to help the french? The French pres here needs to phone her and tell her to dish out some of her earnings to them.